Published: Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, March 31, 2014 at 6:10 p.m.

This story was corrected at 6:05 p.m. March 31, 2014, to reflect the correct number of heroin seizures and arrests during 2013 by the Wilmington Police Department.

Facts

2013 crime by the numbers

In New Hanover County:One in 92 people fell victim to a larceny.One in 157 people fell victim to a burglary.One in 1,142 people had a vehicle stolen.One in 3,204 people was robbed.In Wilmington:One in 31 people fell victim to a larceny.One in 66 people fell victim to a burglary.One in 350 people had a vehicle stolen. One in 434 people was robbed.Sources: Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff's Office

March 21 marked one year since Rahman Liadi was gunned down in the Houston Moore public housing complex off Greenfield Street. He was one of 10 people in Wilmington who lost their lives to violence last year, and one of four to be killed in District 4 – the deadliest of the city's seven police districts, Wilmington Police Department statistics show.

By contrast, the unincorporated parts of New Hanover County – divided into 15 districts by the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office – had just one murder in 2013.

WPD District 4 – which runs roughly from Oleander Drive to Independence Boulevard and River Road to 17th Street – has within its borders scores of single-family homes as well as New Hanover Regional Medical Center's sprawling campus. But it also contains Houston Moore, one of the city's eight public housing complexes.

WPD spokeswoman Linda Rawley said statistics show most crime happens in a 1-mile radius around public housing.

Last year, the numbers show, 60 percent of the murders, rapes, robberies, larcenies, auto thefts, burglaries and assaults happened in the districts that contain public housing. A high concentration of drug arrests and drug seizures occurred in those areas as well.

Wilmington Housing Authority Board Chairman Jeff Hovis said the alarming rate of crime in and around public housing in 2013 prompted the board to institute stricter abandoned-vehicle, guest and curfew policies, along with installing more outside lighting and increasing police and contracted security presence.

“The concentration of (criminal) activity has been around Houston Moore, Hillcrest and Creekwood,” Hovis said.

Hillcrest public housing is in District 3 and Creekwood is in District 2. In 2013, according to WPD records, there were 58 reports of shots fired, with four people injured, in Creekwood. A fatal gang-related shooting happened just outside its boundaries on Forest Hills Drive, a “cut through,” Rawley said, to cross from the north side of town to the south.

“That's the triangle of crime we've been focusing on, but we don't want to neglect the other areas,” Hovis said. “Some of these (bad guys) are professional criminals. They're not stupid – they go where there isn't the police presence and there isn't the focus. That's why we're making sure all properties have the coverage.”

Wilmington Police Chief Ralph Evangelous said the increased patrols that combine police officers with housing officers had made a difference.

Glendora Mullins, president of the Creekwood South Residents Organization, said the increased presence of law enforcement transformed the neighborhood.

“It's wonderful out here now. The housing authority and the Wilmington Police Department are working with the residents. I can say I can sleep. It's safer,” she said. “Before, I was scared to walk outside. Now the senior citizens can go to the mailbox. We can sit outside.”

The abundance of crime around public housing is a persistent problem fueled by the heroin drug trade, said WPD analyst Barry Coburn.

“They're fighting over the drug market and it looks to be like intra-gang fighting,” he said.

On a Coburn-made map, purple dots represent the 9,383 heroin doses seized and 214 heroin-related arrests last year by the Wilmington Police Department. While the purple dots are concentrated around the public housing complexes, they also pepper the city.

Each of the police districts has its own set of problems, crime statistics show.

For instance, the numbers show you're more likely to be assaulted, robbed or have your car stolen in District 3, which is bordered on its north and south by Market and Greenfield streets and on its east and west by Forest Hills Drive and Third Street.

The distinction of the most rapes reported – eight – in 2013 goes to District 2, running from Oleander Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to South Kerr Avenue and 23rd Street. Coming in a close second with seven reported rapes in 2013 was WPD's District 3, which runs from Market to Greenfield streets and a portion of Colonial Drive to a portion of Surry Street. In third place with six rapes reported last year comes downtown, a 16-by-5-block police district with boundaries that run along Castle Street to Cowan Street and Fifth Avenue to the Cape Fear River waterfront.

The statistics show that the WPD's Downtown District, which is less than half the size of its counterparts, had the fewest crimes reported in the city last year. For downtown, the biggest problem was theft with 243 larcenies and 38 burglaries.

Theft also was the biggest problem in the unincorporated parts of New Hanover County last year. Larcenies made up more than 48 percent of the 2,245 reported crimes against people, according to sheriff's office statistics.

The sheriff's office district with the most larcenies – 345 – is C1. The district includes Monkey Junction, where Walmart is located, as well as a number of highly populated neighborhoods.

“Where there is condensed housings, there are more crimes,” said sheriff's office Sgt. Jerry Brewer. “If your street has 20 houses on it, you'll have less crime than if there are 40.”

District C1 also had more assaults – at 30 – than any other district.

In the north end of the county, or District A2 – which encompasses the land between Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Wild Magnolia Road – 40 percent of last year's crime was from residential, commercial and auto burglaries.

The most crime-free districts for the sheriff's office were in the south end of the county in District C3 near Carolina Beach and in the sparsely populated northeast corner of the county near Flemington known as District A4.

Evangelous said there are things people can do to protect themselves.

“Be cognizant of your environment, look around, see if you see something that doesn't look right,” he said. “If you see a couple of people coming toward you and it doesn't look right, go the other way. If someone asks you for a cigarette or a dollar or directions and it's late at night and dark, it's probably not going to end well.”

Evangelous said people also can foil theft by simply locking their car and home doors.

“And watch out for your neighbors,” he said, encouraging people to participate in or create Neighborhood Watch programs in their areas.

“Pay attention to your surroundings. And if you are impaired, have someone with you that's not, because you are just a walking victim,” he said.

While the crime numbers are useful to the public, McMahon said, the numbers are vital to his office's operation. By analyzing them, he can determine where to ramp up enforcement and make his office be more proactive.

“We're committed to making this community safer. That's the bottom line,” he said.

<p><B>This story was corrected at 6:05 p.m. March 31, 2014, to reflect the correct number of heroin seizures and arrests during 2013 by the Wilmington Police Department.</p><p></B></p><p>March 21 marked one year since Rahman Liadi was gunned down in the Houston Moore public housing complex off Greenfield Street. He was one of 10 people in Wilmington who lost their lives to violence last year, and one of four to be killed in District 4 – the deadliest of the city's seven police districts, Wilmington Police Department statistics show.</p><p>By contrast, the unincorporated parts of New Hanover County – divided into 15 districts by the <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9932"><b>New Hanover County Sheriff</b></a>'s Office – had just one murder in 2013. </p><p>WPD District 4 – which runs roughly from Oleander Drive to Independence Boulevard and River Road to 17th Street – has within its borders scores of single-family homes as well as <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9969"><b>New Hanover Regional Medical Center</b></a>'s sprawling campus. But it also contains Houston Moore, one of the city's eight public housing complexes. </p><p>WPD spokeswoman Linda Rawley said statistics show most crime happens in a 1-mile radius around public housing.</p><p>Last year, the numbers show, 60 percent of the murders, rapes, robberies, larcenies, auto thefts, burglaries and assaults happened in the districts that contain public housing. A high concentration of drug arrests and drug seizures occurred in those areas as well. </p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic31"><b>Wilmington Housing Authority</b></a> Board Chairman Jeff Hovis said the alarming rate of crime in and around public housing in 2013 prompted the board to institute stricter abandoned-vehicle, guest and curfew policies, along with installing more outside lighting and increasing police and contracted security presence.</p><p>“The concentration of (criminal) activity has been around Houston Moore, Hillcrest and Creekwood,” Hovis said.</p><p>Hillcrest public housing is in District 3 and Creekwood is in District 2. In 2013, according to WPD records, there were 58 reports of shots fired, with four people injured, in Creekwood. A fatal gang-related shooting happened just outside its boundaries on Forest Hills Drive, a “cut through,” Rawley said, to cross from the north side of town to the south. </p><p>“That's the triangle of crime we've been focusing on, but we don't want to neglect the other areas,” Hovis said. “Some of these (bad guys) are professional criminals. They're not stupid – they go where there isn't the police presence and there isn't the focus. That's why we're making sure all properties have the coverage.”</p><p>Wilmington Police Chief <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9935"><b>Ralph Evangelous</b></a> said the increased patrols that combine police officers with housing officers had made a difference. </p><p>Glendora Mullins, president of the Creekwood South Residents Organization, said the increased presence of law enforcement transformed the neighborhood.</p><p>“It's wonderful out here now. The housing authority and the Wilmington Police Department are working with the residents. I can say I can sleep. It's safer,” she said. “Before, I was scared to walk outside. Now the senior citizens can go to the mailbox. We can sit outside.”</p><p>“It's pretty astounding,” Evangelous said. “We're seeing some real positive things happening.”</p><p>The abundance of crime around public housing is a persistent problem fueled by the heroin drug trade, said WPD analyst Barry Coburn. </p><p>“They're fighting over the drug market and it looks to be like intra-gang fighting,” he said.</p><p>On a Coburn-made map, purple dots represent the 9,383 heroin doses seized and 214 heroin-related arrests last year by the Wilmington Police Department. While the purple dots are concentrated around the public housing complexes, they also pepper the city. </p><p>Each of the police districts has its own set of problems, crime statistics show. </p><p>For instance, the numbers show you're more likely to be assaulted, robbed or have your car stolen in District 3, which is bordered on its north and south by Market and Greenfield streets and on its east and west by Forest Hills Drive and Third Street. </p><p>The distinction of the most rapes reported – eight – in 2013 goes to District 2, running from Oleander Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to South Kerr Avenue and 23rd Street. Coming in a close second with seven reported rapes in 2013 was WPD's District 3, which runs from Market to Greenfield streets and a portion of Colonial Drive to a portion of Surry Street. In third place with six rapes reported last year comes downtown, a 16-by-5-block police district with boundaries that run along Castle Street to Cowan Street and Fifth Avenue to the <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic91"><b>Cape Fear River</b></a> waterfront. </p><p>The statistics show that the WPD's Downtown District, which is less than half the size of its counterparts, had the fewest crimes reported in the city last year. For downtown, the biggest problem was theft with 243 larcenies and 38 burglaries. </p><p>Theft also was the biggest problem in the unincorporated parts of New Hanover County last year. Larcenies made up more than 48 percent of the 2,245 reported crimes against people, according to sheriff's office statistics. </p><p>The sheriff's office district with the most larcenies – 345 – is C1. The district includes Monkey Junction, where Walmart is located, as well as a number of highly populated neighborhoods. </p><p>“Where there is condensed housings, there are more crimes,” said sheriff's office Sgt. Jerry Brewer. “If your street has 20 houses on it, you'll have less crime than if there are 40.”</p><p>District C1 also had more assaults – at 30 – than any other district. </p><p>In the north end of the county, or District A2 – which encompasses the land between Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Wild Magnolia Road – 40 percent of last year's crime was from residential, commercial and auto burglaries. </p><p>The most crime-free districts for the sheriff's office were in the south end of the county in District C3 near Carolina Beach and in the sparsely populated northeast corner of the county near Flemington known as District A4. </p><p>Evangelous said there are things people can do to protect themselves. </p><p>“Be cognizant of your environment, look around, see if you see something that doesn't look right,” he said. “If you see a couple of people coming toward you and it doesn't look right, go the other way. If someone asks you for a cigarette or a dollar or directions and it's late at night and dark, it's probably not going to end well.”</p><p>Evangelous said people also can foil theft by simply locking their car and home doors. </p><p>“And watch out for your neighbors,” he said, encouraging people to participate in or create Neighborhood Watch programs in their areas. </p><p>Sheriff <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic79"><b>Ed McMahon</b></a> agreed. </p><p>“Pay attention to your surroundings. And if you are impaired, have someone with you that's not, because you are just a walking victim,” he said. </p><p>While the crime numbers are useful to the public, McMahon said, the numbers are vital to his office's operation. By analyzing them, he can determine where to ramp up enforcement and make his office be more proactive. </p><p>“We're committed to making this community safer. That's the bottom line,” he said. </p><p><i></p><p>F.T. Norton: 343-2070</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @FTNorton </i></p>